How MSU's NFL Draft Class Compares to Recent Seasons

All 257 picks in this season's NFL Draft have been used. Two of those picks were Michigan State players.

The Spartans have had at least one selection every year except one (2021) since the 1941 draft. When MSU center Matt Gulbin went 209th overall to the Washington Commanders and Michigan State punter Ryan Eckley went 211th overall to the Baltimore Ravens, both in the sixth round, that run kept going. They are the Spartans' 325th and 326th NFL draft picks all-time, respectively.

Recent Seasons

Michigan State senior Ryan Eckley is recognized during a ceremony before the game against Penn State on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Even though it comes on the heels of a pretty miserable 4-8 season, this is the first time in three years MSU has had multiple draft picks in the same class.

Offensive guard Luke Newman was the only draft selection during the 2025 draft. He also went in the sixth round at 195th overall to the Chicago Bears. The year before that, only center Nick Samac was picked. He was selected 228th overall in the seventh round of 2024 by the Baltimore Ravens.

Michigan State center Matt Gulbin gets ready to throw a block during the Spartans' game against the USC Trojans on Sept. 20, 2025. | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

That 2023 draft class had three selections. Wide receiver Jayden Reed led the way, being picked 50th overall in the second round by the Green Bay Packers. He just agreed to a three-year contract extension with Green Bay worth a reported $50.25 million.

Later on, punter Bryce Baringer went 192nd overall in the sixth round to the New England Patriots, and then the Patriots also picked defensive back Ameer Speed 214th overall in the same round.

Other Trends

One thing worth noting here is that this is the third year in a row that Michigan State has had an interior offensive lineman get drafted. That should be good news for left guard Nick Sharpe, center Trent Fraley, and right guard (potentially) Conner Moore.

Luka Vincic could slide into right guard pretty easily, but Moore, who usually played right tackle last year, was getting first-team reps this spring due to Vincic's ongoing injury.

MSU can maybe stake its claim on being "Punter U," if it so chooses to go for that interesting, but humorous label. It's not too often a school molds back-to-back starting punters into NFL prospects. Only two punters were picked this year. Eckley went first, followed by Tommy Doman of Florida at 239th overall. The Gators and the Spartans are the only schools with multiple punters drafted in the last 10 drafts now (Florida has three).

Next up for MSU is Rhys Dakin, who will be coached by LeVar Woods after they both came to East Lansing from Iowa. Woods helped develop punterTory Taylor, who went in the fourth round at No. 122 overall to the Bears in 2024. It's the second-highest anyone at the position has been picked since 2013.

Add us as a preferred source on Google